This invention relates to a process for the oxidation of coal.
Various oxidation routes for the production of humic and/or fulvic acids from coal have been discussed in the literature. For example, oxidation with nitric acid or nitrogen oxides is discussed and described in British patent 1,283,385. Further, oxidation of coal with oxygen in an aqueous alkaline phase is described in the United States Bureau Mines Internal Circular, No. 8234, 1963, pages 74 to 99. The process of this latter reference involves slurrying particulate coal with a dilute caustic solution and then oxidising with gaseous oxygen under elevated temperature and pressure conditions. The pH of the slurry will be very high and at least 12 or higher. Under these conditions, the acids which will be produced will be both humic and fulvic acids with the fulvic acids constituting a high percentage. Both these acids are soluble in solutions of this high pH. The general shortcomings of these liquid medium routes are high consumption of expensive reagents, e.g. alkali, poor product selectivity and long reactiion times.
Friedman and Kinney (Ind. Eng. Cham. 42, 2525 [1950]) studied the fixed-bed air-oxidation of coals ranging from lignite to low volatile bituminous coals, achieving humic acid yields of up to 96,5%. This approach is however hampered by serious spontaneous combustion problems which disqualifies such "dry" air-oxidation processes for commercial application.